Orchan Consulting | Asia Sdn Bhd

At Orchan, we’ve seen consulting at its best - and at its glossiest. Dirty Consultant is our no-nonsense series calling out the theatre, the buzzwords, and the shiny distractions that get in the way of real change. Because true consulting isn’t about polished decks or clever algorithms; it’s about rolling up sleeves, getting into the grit, and facing the messy human reality head-on. Are you a dirty consultant? She was. Back then, she didn’t sit behind a shiny desk. She pulled night shifts. She rode shotgun with truckers. She sweated it out in the warehouse. She asked the tough questions: to managers in ties, and to workers in boots. She refused to give advice until she knew what the advice meant for the people who had to live with it. That was consulting. Now? Consultants stroll in polished and perfect. Designer suits. Fresh slides. Laptops glowing like neon signs. They sell “platforms” and “solutions” and “engagement dashboards.” But they won’t get their hands di...

Reinvention Part III - The Reinvention Formula Following on from the Six Deadly Blindfolds, The Reinvention Formula looks closely at what is important to factor in to change within an organisation, and to what extend various organisational level factors influence the opportunity for growth and development. When this notion was first presented to me by the authors of Reinvention: Accelerating Results in the Age of Disruption , like with much of what they were saying, it struck a chord and resonated with my own thinking. I may not be perfect at embracing all that was said, but I do recognise how, over time, each and every influencing factor has been important, and upon reflection, see where I could have done things better. Hindsight is always a valuable tool, but foresight, and the ability to really hone in on what is important, is even more so. By sharing Cragun and Sweetman’s reinvention Formula, I hope that I can open you your reflection on changes within your orga...

Six Deadly Blindfolds (Reinvention II) We are all guilty! We are guilty of not seeing the bigger picture. We are guilty of sweeping something under the carpet because it is easier than tackling head on. Whether it be clouding (external forces) or our own distractions (internal forces), this ‘missing the point’ can result in decision-makers making ill-informed choices. We need to address the very real blindspots in our decision-making processes. From that point, we see in a clearer fashion, the reality of circumstances, and can make informed, intelligent decisions to move forward to the next level. At the launch of “Reinvention: Acceletating Results in the Age of Disruption” by Shane Cragun and Kate Sweetman, Kate spent time highlighting the Six Deadly Blindfolds that impact upon entrepreneurs, managers and decision-makers. These resonated strongly with the entire audience, as we all recognized that at some stage along our managerial career path, we have been gu...

Reinvention Revisited Regardless professional manager or entrepreneur, it is always good for us to take a step back to reframe ourselves and our business, and to experience what we do through a fresh lens. On my part, I regularly attend book launches, listen to interesting and inspirational speakers, and read up on the latest business dialogue through the many informative and relevant portals available. Not that recently, but certainly stuck in my memory, I had the good fortune to attend a book launch in Kuala Lumpur. The authors were not Malaysian, nor to be honest, was any of the content. But, it struck a chord – offering fresh insight into the interactions I have every day, and with respect to the advice we as a business give to our valued clients. What was enjoyable about the launch was not the content of the book per se, but the delight of the principal author in delivering her presentation. A seasoned pro, the author stepped it up a notch and de...

Let’s face it: the world of work has been flipped upside down. The pandemic didn’t just throw a spanner in the works - it dumped the whole toolbox into the ocean. Old-school “command and control” leadership? Sinks like a rock. Top-down management? Wiped out. What’s keeping organisations afloat right now isn’t clinging to old ways - it’s learning how to surf the waves of change. And here’s the thing: without a coaching culture, you’re just paddling furiously, hoping not to wipe out. At Orchan, we’ve seen firsthand, in our own team and with clients, that empowerment doesn’t just happen. It takes guidance, experimentation, and yes, a few wipeouts along the way. But when coaching is part of the culture, people don’t just survive the tides - they ride them. The Surfboard of Success Think of resilience, adaptability, and sustainability as the wax, the balance, and the fins. Each is crucial, but without the surfboard - coaching - you’re not going anywhere. Resilience : the wax that keeps yo...

An EV is more than just a Vehicle; it’s a Lifestyle! They say "all good things come in three's"; so join Orchan collaborators Qommune+ on 22 June 2023 (7:30 pm) to enjoy fantastic networking, three great Electric Vehicles (test drive available), and three insightful industry speakers discussing the Malaysian EV market! An EV is more than just a vehicle; it’s a lifestyle! EV drivers build their daily habits around sustainable practices, and this presents lots of opportunities for other brands and businesses like yours. Join the Qommune Networking Event in Lalaport BBCC Kuala Lumpur. Gain valuable insights on the Electric Vehicle (EV) market! 🚗🔌, meet industry experts, and network with fellow entrepreneurs, industry players, government agencies and others who are part of this vibrant industry! You will also get the exclusive chance to explore AEVEKL23 EV mini roadshow and EV test drive. Register now to secure your spot! Please register here: https://eventsize.com/@qommune...

Corporate Social Responsibility is not Public Relations  Many businesses undertake CSR not because they want to, but because they have to. Others, want to, but they don’t know how to execute a great CSR strategy in a way that does not appear to be attention-seeking (read: fake, insincere). It’s a dilemma for brands, regardless where they sit on the spectrum of willingness. And, with much of it being about ‘perception’, engagement with stakeholders in an authentic way, it is essential to develop a strategy which reinforces a positive reputation, as opposed to provoking questions regarding motivation and outcomes. We are often asked (instructed) by clients to include flimsy CSR initiatives into an overall campaign, and for many of us in the industry, cringe at some of the approaches made. And many times, the initiative simply falls flat! So, what drives a good CSR campaign, and how should we approach this? Orchan Director Dr Craig J Selby had the chance to speak to British aut...

Learning is lifelong! Sometimes learning is unlearning; sometimes it is opening our mind enough to recognise when we could learn more than we already have. Either way, we need it for our own personal and professional growth. Keep an eye out in the coming days for Orchan's new 2023 Training initiatives in Public Relations, Branding, and Reputation Management!  We train clients, industry professionals, and entrepreneurs wanting to stay on the cutting edge of 'all things communication'.

Let’s face it. In today’s noisy marketplace, it’s not enough to just have skills. Or experience. Or even a fancy job title. People Google you. They stalk your socials. They make snap judgments before you even say “Hi.” That’s your personal brand in action. Like it or not, you already have one. The real question is: are you shaping it… or letting others do it for you? At Orchan, we know that personal branding isn’t fluff - it’s strategy. Just as companies carefully craft their corporate image, ambitious individuals need to take ownership of how they show up. Because people don’t just buy into brands - they buy into people . Take Dr. Thana Sathasivam, for example. A transformation coach with more than 25 years of corporate, government, and academic experience, Dr Thana recently teamed up with us to launch her book, “Unleash Your Inner Sage.” The book isn’t a dry, jargon-filled manual. It’s written in an easy, approachable style - the kind of guide that feels like a conversation wi...

True Sophistication Be it in design, writing, or even strategy; this ethos still stands out from the rest!  

BFTP | When Media Shames the Little Guy  (Commentary by Craig J Selby) The whole world has been against a few Irish tourists who caused a bit of a fracas in my country of origin recently. British publications, Australian publications, Asian publications condemning the tourists for their “bad behavior”, and put their names and faces for all to see. Oh, wow! If only the same attention to detail was put to every criminal in the world. The world might be a safer place, NOT. The issue here is not when something goes viral, but it when something viral is perpetuated by mainstream media, and the “public shaming” goes far beyond the extent of the initial action/s. Daily updates from the New Zealand Herald propagated story after story regarding the tourists – where they are now, the latest thing they ‘did’, and people’s reaction to them. OVERKILL! Did the tourists do wrong? Yes. Did they deserve to be called out for it? Yes. Did they dese...

Building Brands | A Conversation with Farrell Tan With over two decades in advertising and PR, our Director Farrell Tan has worked on everything from Coca-Cola to Nokia. We sat down to talk about what he's learned about building brands that actually stick. 1. So, Farrell, you've been in this game for a while now. Take me through how you ended up doing what you're doing. Well, it wasn't exactly planned, I'll tell you that. I started as an intern - and honestly, I was just happy to get my foot in the door anywhere. The accounts I worked on... Reject Shop, Bank Utama, Sheraton Langkawi... not exactly glamorous stuff, right? But you know what? Best thing that could have happened to me. When you're working with smaller budgets, smaller brands, you can't just throw money at problems. You have to actually think. You have to be creative with RM5,000 instead of RM50,000. That discipline... I mean, it stayed with me even when I moved to McCa...